


Unforgettable

by imperfectioners



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Diego Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Diego Hargreeves is Bad at Feelings, F/M, Inspired by The Umbrella Academy, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Protective Klaus Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28607352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imperfectioners/pseuds/imperfectioners
Summary: The Umbrella Academy has an important mission to deal with, they have to stop the apocalypse. You? You're the childhood friend who got caught up in their shit once again. However, you're burdened with far more than just the task at hand. You have to deal with some really harsh realities and broken-hearted realizations. Will you be able to reconcile with the Academy before it's too late? Will you find it in yourself to forgive and forget? Will he?
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves/Reader
Comments: 11
Kudos: 18





	1. Hazy Shade of Winter

_ You walked down the dark hallways of this castle-like home, glancing at every little object that’s been shattered on the floor as you enter one single room. It used to be preoccupied by a boy with black hair and a small tattoo on his forearm, but, here in all of its glory, now all that was left was a mess of glass and knife marks on a dart board. _

_ Of course, he hadn’t left his knives behind. Those were a part of him. You weren’t. At least not anymore. You ran your cold fingertips against a picture of the two of you that you had given him for his last birthday, the glass frame shattered on the floor. He earned a new scar that year, right above his ear. Guess he left that part of you behind too. You fidgeted with your ring, trying to calm yourself down, before your mind started to question the truth. He wouldn’t do that to you. Maybe he was just angry and was somewhere else in the house. _

_ Devastation sets in along with an uncontrollable panic. He wouldn’t leave you behind. He was just hiding and waiting for you to find him. You ran out of his room and down the hallway screaming his name, “DIEGO.” The siblings were all in their rooms, doors wide open as they stared at you with pity. You were desperate to find him and prove to yourself that he wouldn’t hurt you like this. That this was all just some sick joke. _

_ You searched every room and closet. No sign of him. You ran out and into the cold night in the courtyard, ignoring Klaus’s calls for you to come inside. The temperature was below freezing yet you refused to stop searching as you shouted, “DIEGO, THIS ISN’T FUNNY.” Klaus stood a few feet away from you, watching as you scrambled around the large mansion. _

_ You didn’t care that Hargreeves would hear you. You didn’t care that the siblings were seeing your melt down. All you cared about was Diego. Diego was all you had. He was the only person you could ever trust after Ben’s death. You were close with Klaus and Five, when he was still here, but not like how you were with Diego. You already lost Ben and Five. Why did you have to lose Diego too? _

_ Once you reached Diego’s room again, you sat amongst the chaos. Your knees were pressed against broken glass but you could care less. Klaus was calling out to you, trying to reach you, but you were lost in your own mind. You stared at the open window and panted as you thought about searching the streets for him. He couldn’t have left too long ago, maybe if you searched out there then you could beg him to come back… or take you with him. _

_ You could leave the past behind and the future would just belong to you two. There had to be a way to bring him back. You got up and off the floor with a new sense of determination and started to walk towards the window with your bloodied knees but a voice calls out to you from the doorway that catches your attention, “He left this morning, (Y/N).” _

_ The voice grounds you, finally forcing you to face the truth as you stared out and into the night sky. Why didn’t he come to you and tell you about his plans? Why didn’t he wait for you? The last time you saw him was two nights ago. He didn’t seem any different than usual, he didn’t tell you anything. You two could have run away together. He knew you were ready to leave your family behind and that you wanted to go so why didn’t he wait for you? Why didn’t he meet you at your school to tell you? _

_ Grace walked up behind you and placed her hands on your shoulders as she calmly explains, “He’s always been such an independent young man. He was never one to ask for permission.” You knew she was being honest. That’s just how she’s programmed to be. The truth just hurts. _

_ You came from a pretty abusive home and whenever you felt like you had enough shit from them, you came here. He was always there to cheer you up. He was there to stitch you back together and keep you safe. Even if you had to leave early the next morning, at least you got to spend the night with him. That’s all you needed. Tonight was another one of those nights, and all you wanted was to come and talk to your favorite person. _

_ Grace squeezed your shoulders as she cooed beside you, “(Y/N), I’d like for you to know that even if Diego isn’t here anymore, this is your home. You’re always welcome here. I will always be here for you.” Her words were sweet but they couldn’t fill the hole that his disappearance left in your heart.  _

_ You turned to look into her blue eyes, full of love and care as they usually are, and your eyes filled with tears. “He didn’t tell me that he was leaving. He… He promised m-me that he would t-tell me.” You whispered, feeling a tear run down your cheek over a small cut that your father’s drunken tantrum had given you. You wanted to escape reality by coming here but obviously that wasn’t what you got to do. _

_ You and Diego had met at Griddy’s Doughnuts about 8 years ago, he had snuck out of the house with his siblings and you left after an argument with your father. You were only slightly smaller than him and his siblings, so they felt like they had an obligation to keep you safe. They paid for your doughnut and Diego helped clean your wounds in the bathroom there. He claimed that he had learned from the best, so you trusted him. From there, you two were almost inseparable. _

_ That word: Almost. That’s what made this whole thing so painful. He separated you two and there was nothing you could do but wait for him. Search for him. What if he was scared? What if one day he’d realize that he needed you? You couldn’t leave him like that… like how he left you. _

_ “Let’s get you cleaned up.” Grace said as she took a few steps towards the door and held her hand out for you. You took one last glance out and into the night before you grabbed her hand and followed her to the bathroom like a small child. She cleaned your cuts and attempted to reduce the swelling from your bruises as you thought of how scared and alone he must feel out there by himself. _

_ Once she finished, she gave you a hug. A small gesture to show that she truly cared for you; one that made you feel warm inside. You always knew how much Diego loved her, so you loved her as well. She led you back to Diego’s room and the two of you cleaned up the mess that he’d left behind. _

_ From that night forward, everyone started slowly leaving that god-forsaken house. You would always come late at night to help Grace tidy up their rooms in hopes of them coming back, just like you two did that night where Diego had abandoned you both. _

_ * _

_ You were 25 when you lost that hope. Throughout the years, you kept tabs on the others in hopes of never losing them like you lost Diego. Although you were working 2 jobs, you still found time to keep up with the Hargreeves siblings.  _

_ Vanya had just recently published her autobiography, still living in the city in a dingy apartment not too far from the Academy. You read the whole thing, noting that Vanya didn’t mention you besides a small section talking about you and Diego as kids and the first time you met the siblings. It wasn’t like you two were close growing up anyways so you weren’t hurt. Her siblings, on the other hand, weren’t taking it as well as you were. _

_ Allison was a popular actress who had just recently had a child with her celebrity husband. It was everywhere. You didn’t really have to search for information because everyone was talking about her. Lucky for you that only a few of your coworkers knew about your ties to the family. Like Vanya, you weren’t incredibly close with Allison growing up. She was pretty focused on herself… and Luther. _

_ Klaus kept in touch with you when he could. You always knew where to find him, there weren’t too many rehab facilities in the area. You repeatedly tried to coax him into sobriety but you understood why he was using. It always felt bittersweet when you came to visit him or when he came by your apartment because you never knew if that would be the last time you’d see him. _

_ Luther, on the other hand, was still at the house. He was still helping Sir Reginald Hargreeves with his missions. You only ever saw him when you came by to visit Grace and that wasn’t a problem because you two had never become close. He always questioned why the rest of his siblings took such a liking to you but he kept his mouth shut. _

_ At first, when Diego left, you spent every weekend searching for him. He never gave you a clue before he left so you’d frequently search for him on the streets or even at the police station. Every time you’d check in with an officer, they’d always tell you the same thing: He’s not here. After a year or so of waiting, you decided to stop searching as frequently and only looked once a month. _

_ Over the years, hope slowly dwindled away and once a month suddenly became once every six months; Six months became once a year. Then you gave up on searching for him on your own. You gave an officer your number and asked them to keep you updated and all she did was look at you with pity in her eyes. You were desperate to find him at first but you were getting tired of coming up empty. _

_ So when you saw Diego again, you were shocked. You were on your way home from a double shift and you honestly thought your mind was just playing tricks on you. It didn’t even really look like him at first but you knew it was him when you saw the scar on the side of his head. Your tires screeched as you slammed on the brakes at a stop sign before moving your car off the road and parking on the side of the street. _

_ He looked so grown up with a bit of a beard growing in, walking down the street with a few policemen beside him. He was wearing all-black with his knives strapped to his chest. Your breath got caught in your lungs as you stared at him for the first time in 7 years. You were about to get out of the car and run to him but then you noticed him smiling at the officers. At first, you thought that he was in trouble but it only took a second before you realized that you’d been the fool all along. _

_ You felt anger boiling up inside of you as you watched him joke around with those men. That officer who looked at you with pity wasn’t pitying you for losing Diego, they were pitying you for being so naive. If Diego really wanted you around, he would have come back for you years ago. He LEFT you and didn’t look back. You were just too stupid to realize that he didn’t care. _

_ You started to feel the car heat up and without a second thought, you decide to go to the Academy instead of your apartment. You couldn’t believe how stupid you had been all these years. You imagined that when you found Diego, he’d come running to you and you two would be able to run away together. But that was a dream you had when you were a kid. That’s all it really was. A dream. _

_ You parked in the alleyway and climbed up through Diego’s window, the only window that Grace left unlocked for you in case you chose to come by. No one was there. The house was silent. You paced back and forth in the small room, feeling your anger grow as you touch your ring finger. What a waste. _

_ An angry scream escaped from your chest as you threw everything off of the dresser and punched the wall behind it. Everyone who gave you hope that he would come back to you were liars. They knew he was happier without you and that you were just his past. You grabbed the framed picture of the two of you and threw it across the room, not wanting to be reminded of your foolishness. You tore the ring off of your finger and took the picture off of the floor, surrounded by glass, as you clenched your jaw and left them both on his dresser before you left the room with a slam of the door. _

_ When Grace came into the room later that night, she found that picture of you and Diego on the dresser with your ring on top of it. She walked down the hall a bit more before finding you asleep in Klaus’s room with tear-stained cheeks. She watched you sleep for a little while until she decided to leave you alone, she knew when you wanted to be left alone. _

_ The next morning you woke up and left, deciding to never step foot in Diego’s room again. You were seething with anger. If he didn’t care about you, then you’d do the same and make sure that he stayed in the past. He cared for his happiness and only his happiness now. You decided to do the same. _

_ From then on, you only visited Grace on special days like the siblings’ birthdays. That way she wouldn’t be alone, and her secret small cake wouldn’t go to waste. You, her, and Pogo would make small talk as they asked you about your life and filled you in on little events you may have missed(like Luther’s unexpected mission to the moon). But you stopped waiting for him. _

*

You were working an extra shift at the diner to save up some extra money. Money isn’t tight but you could always use some more cash in your pocket. Plus your coworker only asked you to cover his shift because his kid caught a cold and no one else could watch him. Your coworkers always know that they can count on you to cover their shifts because… well, what else would you be doing? It’s not like you have a family or a partner or even a pet to come home to, it’s usually just you and a couple of glasses of cheap wine.

The cook called out your name from the kitchen and you ran over, taking the plate of pancakes with you as you walked it over to one of your only tables. It was a pretty slow night and the only customers there were a group of police officers who just got off their shift and a truck driver who stopped in for a meal. The officers were a bunch of regulars and they tipped you well so you weren’t too apprehensive to serve them but it didn’t stop the occasional middle finger when their backs were turned.

You passed another waitress on the way to your customer, she switched on the TV to watch Allison walk down the red carpet. You glanced up at it and thought about how gorgeous she looked before smiling down at your patron and taking his mug to refill it. Allison was walking down red carpets while you were stuck walking around with pancakes, burgers, and coffee in your hands. Life can really catch you by surprise. The truck driver had his eyes glued to the TV and after a second or two, you heard him mutter, “Well shit.”

His cup was only half full when you overheard the headline of the news story that caught the patron’s attention: “Moments ago, police reported the death of the world’s most eccentric and exclusive billionaire.” Your eyes were glued to the screen as his picture appeared on the screen, making the truth abundantly clear to you. The old bastard was dead. Your mind raced and all you could think about was Mom, she must be devastated. 

Your coworker came rushing over to you and took the mug and coffee pot out from your hands, apologizing to the patron as she pulled you away. You were so spaced out that you hadn’t even noticed that you poured scalding hot coffee all over your skirt, your legs, and your hands. You had absolutely no reaction towards the slight burns on your body. Any form of communication that your coworker was trying to make with you was completely dismissed by the ringing in your ears. There’s no way he’s really dead. You could have sworn that man was immortal, how could he just be gone like that?

“Go home, (Y/N). I can’t let you work like this.” Your manager said as your coworker ushered you to the back room to help gather your things. They all knew your connection with the Hargreeves family, you’d been working here since you graduated high school. Without saying another word to your coworkers or manager, you glanced back at them before rushing out the back door and jumping into your car. You sat in your car for a few minutes, completely shocked and speechless, unsure of what to do or where to go.

Instead of going to see Mom and Pogo, you headed back to your apartment to try to come up with a game plan for the funeral. Klaus would be driving you insane if you didn’t show up to help him cope and you’d feel guilty for leaving him there with… them. You stood in your shower for an hour, letting the water run over the red marks on your skin as you attempted to cleanse your mind of the anxiety you feel. Klaus, Mom, and Pogo needed you there. Fuck the rest.

And that’s what led you here, sitting in your car in front of the grandiose Umbrella Academy. After waking up at the crack of dawn and forcing yourself to look presentable for this awful occasion, you’re here waiting for a reason to just go back home to your Academy-less life. A taxi pulls up to the front doors and you watch as Vanya walks out of the taxi and into the Academy. It’s been 8 years since you last spoke to her. Maybe that’s what forced you to get out of your car and walk into the house through the front doors instead of crawling through Klaus’s bedroom window. 

The emptiness and silence fills you with a sense of familiarity and relief. It’s funny how contradictory that may seem but the silence here was far more comfortable than the sounds of sports games at full volume on a TV. You always felt safe here when you were younger because you knew that with the silence came the peace that you didn’t have back with your parents. The door shuts behind you softly and you catch Vanya looking around the house, probably noting how it hasn’t changed at all.

“Nothing changes except the amount of residents at the Academy.” You say softly, hoping that your joke isn’t too stupid too soon. She spins around to face you and a small smile appears on her lips as she walks over to you, pulling you into a hug. “Christ, (Y/N). I had no idea you were coming. How’ve you been?” She asks. You hesitate to wrap your arms around her but you decide it’s the best option right now. It’s polite to hug an old friend who just lost their parent.

You pull away first and scratch the back of your neck with a coy smile on your lips, “I’ve been really good. Probably why life decided to force me back here, making sure I get my annual ass-kicking. How about you? Besides all of this mess, how are you?” She laughs at your joke and shakes her head. You two catch up for a few minutes, talking about her teaching violin lessons, her participation in an orchestra, and she even brings up her auto-biography.

In all honesty, it was hard to read it. Not because she said anything bad about you, as you said before she was pretty complacent about your role in her life, it’s mainly because you barely spent any time around her. You were so occupied by Diego, Ben, and Klaus that all of the others were just background noise. Some louder than others and Vanya’s voice was always the softest.

Thinking back to when you first heard about the book, you and Klaus chatted about it during one of your monthly visits and he was definitely not himself after reading it. It only lasted for that month then Klaus returned to normal, but you could tell that it struck a chord with him. He was always a very empathetic person. The only other person you knew who read it was Luther… and he was fairly uninterested in it. You recall seeing him reading it whilst working out and he seemed like he could care less, the opposite of Klaus.

“I can’t wait to hear what Diego has to say about it.” She sighs, already annoyed by her brothers’ outrageous temper, before looking back up at you and covering her mouth. You try to mask your surprise with a smile as you remember the real reason why you don’t want to be here. They all remember that night that he left, your screams haunt their minds and leave them with that terrible memory as well. They lost their brother, you lost everything. She begins to apologize, “Shit, (Y/N), I’m sorry. I forgot.”

You wave your hand in front of you and laugh awkwardly, “It’s alright. He’s your brother, Vanya. Can’t really avoid him now that we’re under the same roof.” She watches you with a sad look in her eyes showing that she doesn’t believe you but she says nothing in response. You go your separate ways as you catch a glimpse of Allison coming out of the living room, excusing yourself upstairs where you find Mom sitting in front of her wall of paintings. Klaus, Mom, and Pogo are the only reasons you came to this irritating gathering.

It’s not like Hargreeves even liked you, he always threw you out of his house whenever he found you running around in it. You were never allowed to enter through the front door because of him. Yet here you are, attending his funeral as you’re surrounded by this group of people who… all won’t be very happy that you’re even here. You take a seat beside her, resting your head on her shoulder and trying to figure out which painting it is that has her attention.

“Hey Mom,” You say softly as you wait for the wires to disconnect from her arm, “Are you okay?” Her gaze shifts from the paintings to you and she tilts her head at you like a confused dog, with that perfect, loving smile plastered on her lips as if to say “why wouldn’t I be okay?” Everything about her is perfect, absolutely nothing is different today. It’s almost like she doesn’t even recognize that something has drastically changed in this house.

“Of course, (Y/N). Would you like something to eat? I’ll make you chocolate chip pancakes, they’re your favorite.” She asks, brushing the stray strands of your hair back behind your ear. She doesn’t give you a chance to decline her offer as she gets up from her seat and heads towards the kitchen. Hargreeves may have treated her poorly but he never harmed her in any way. He was always really kind towards Mom regardless of how little he cared about her. So it makes no sense for her to be acting this way.

Her departure leaves you feeling empty and confused by what you’re really doing here. You should have already known that Mom would be okay but you still showed up to check on her. You stare at a portrait of a woman with brown hair and kind almond eyes, wondering how you ended up back in this mess. Someone like her wouldn’t put themselves in a bad situation, knowing that nothing good will come out of it. But you never made great decisions when it comes to this ridiculous family.

Everyone called you out on your habit of zoning out. It was a habit that stuck since childhood. There was never a time in your life where you didn’t space out at least once a day. You were just so stuck in your own mind all of the time that sometimes you’d get lost. Your coworkers always told you that it was cute, that you looked like you were thinking of something happy. In reality, you were probably just thinking about how badly you wanted to be at home and in your bed.

This time all you could focus on was what you’d say when you finally see him again. Are there even enough words in your vocabulary to express what you really want to say? Would he even want to talk to you again? Or should you just leave it how it is now? Two strangers, stuck in the same space for the same purpose. Why are you even thinking about this? Of course he won’t give a shit about you. He never did.

You pull yourself out of your mind and get up from the seat calmly, hoping you weren’t out for too long. But as you turn around, you wish that you hadn’t gotten up at all. Because there, standing at the top of the steps and staring at you in confusion, was the man you hadn’t seen since you were 17.

“(Y/N)?”


	2. Little Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies."
> 
> The tension is growing in the Academy, you and Diego can't seem to make amends just yet and a surprise visitor makes an appearance. You're not ready for the storm coming towards the Umbrella Academy.

_ “Ben died today.” Diego mumbled as you crawled in through his open window. You flicked your head up and your eyes settled on the boy with dried tears on his cheeks and knives in his hands. He was seated on the floor in front of his door, probably attempting to keep everyone else out. _

_ You didn’t expect to see a broken boy waiting for you in his room when you walked over to the Academy that night. Your father didn’t come home and your mother was pretending you weren’t there like she usually did. You were having a relatively good night by your standards. But all of that stopped when you heard his words. _

_ You shut the window and closed the blinds behind you, forcing the darkness to remain out there. There couldn’t be any darkness surrounding us. Not tonight. Ben and Diego weren’t extremely close, but Diego always admired and loved his brother. You, on the other hand, spent more time with Ben than Diego could get you to admit. Ben was a huge part of your life, he was always there to play board games with you and Grace. Ben was always so caring and gentle, but he was so troubled by the darkness inside of him. _

_ You took a seat beside him and attempted to find the right thing to say but the words just wouldn’t form. It’s not like the two of you always shared everything with each other but this was the first time you had both faced finality in this way. You wanted to cry and scream out your pain but decided against it. Diego was opening himself up to you and you needed to be there for him. _

_ When Five disappeared, Diego was in a fiery rampage and locked the window. You came by the next week and found that he was more distant with his siblings than he was before. He was trying to close himself off to everyone because then he wouldn’t have to deal with the feeling of losing them. This time was different. This time Diego needed you to be with him. _

_ Without words, you showed Diego that you care in a way only he would know. You wrapped your arms around him and you two cried together to mourn the loss. You stayed that night, falling asleep in each other’s arms. You never asked him what happened and he never wanted to speak about it. It was an unspoken rule between the two of you.  _

_ From then on, you spent almost every weekend sleeping in his bed beside him rather than on the floor of his room. It left you both feeling somewhat peaceful. But what kind of peace could you get in a world like this? Where he was forced into being a hero, and you were always going to be seen as a victim. _

*

“(Y/N)?” You ignore the pit of anxiety in your stomach as you briefly stare at Diego in uncomfortable silence. He gapes at you before cautiously stepping closer, “I didn’t think that you’d be here.” You can feel your heart harden and you cross your arms over your chest, trying to hide yourself from him. Of course he didn’t think that you’d come. He didn’t know anything about you.

He wouldn’t be surprised if he had just come by the house. If he had given you a second thought. You were here more than he ever was. Even though it’s a mess, you came to watch over the woman who always watched over you. It’s hard to look at him so you turn your gaze away and coldly ignore him as you walk past him muttering, “I wonder what Klaus is doing.”

He reaches out and his fingers graze your wrist before instinctively grabbing onto it, saying your name again, “(Y/N), wait.” You pull your arm away from him and glare at him with annoyance in your voice as you retort, “I already have.” He stands there watching you rush down the steps and as you’re about to walk out the front door, a hand pulls you back and you snap around to find Klaus in front of you.

He pulls you into his arms and holds you as he whispers into your hair, “Come on kiddo. Family meeting.” Your arms find their way around his waist with ease and you calm down quickly. Klaus always knows how to make you feel better after a bad moment. He releases you before you two head into the family room arm-in-arm.

Instead of sitting with the other siblings, you go to the bar with Klaus and watch as he makes himself a drink. You weren’t much for alcohol, your childhood was enough to put you off of drinking forever. You can feel Diego’s eyes burning into your back but you force yourself to ignore it. Klaus is good at distracting you anyways; he requires a lot of attention. Luther begins to talk about the memorial service, Number One was always great at being a leader…

Klaus makes silly faces at you and bulges his eyes out as you two tune in and out of the conversation. It’s not like anyone really cares about what you two are doing, they’re all immersed in their own minds and Luther’s words. Klaus pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and you lower your eyes at him as you mouth,  _ Are those mine? _ His small smirk is the only answer you need to know that they really are yours.

You had a feeling that he knows where you hide your stash but you’re still surprised by it. You hold your hand out to ask for him to give you one and he shakes his head, lighting one before putting the rest away. Only Klaus would take your cigarettes and not let you smoke one. He takes a long drag from it before slinging his arm around your shoulders and walking over with you, holding both his drink and his cigarette.

Allison and Luther don’t seem to notice your presence until you and Klaus walk over to the group, with Klaus spewing nonsense about refreshments being served. Luther turns his eye down to Klaus and reminds him, “Dad didn’t allow smoking in here.” The seat beside Vanya is empty and you take it after escaping from Klaus’s grasp, giving her a small smile.

Meanwhile, Klaus and Allison bicker over Klaus wearing her old skirt. You hadn’t even recognized that it wasn’t Klaus’s because… well, it’s Klaus. Klaus falls into the seat beside you as you tune back into the conversation, hearing Luther and Diego begin to bicker before Vanya softly stutters, “I-I don’t understand. I thought they said it was a heart attack.” Before Luther continues, his gaze falls on you and he clears his throat.

“I, uh… Sorry (Y/N) but this is… a family issue.” Luther reminds you in the same tone he always uses. You feel Klaus pull you closer to him instinctively to protect you from Luther. This is how Luther always is. He would always scold you for putting yourself into the group but lucky for him because this time Klaus was the one who told you to come along. Either way, you got the message. You give him a bitter smile before taking the cigarette from Klaus’s hand and walking out of the room, “Nice to see you too, Luther.”

It’s not unusual for them to exclude you like this. It makes sense for them to do so, only Klaus and Ben really saw you as a part of the family. You’re just another Grace to them; always there when they need you, never there for you. You’re disposable in their eyes.

You take a drag from the cigarette a few times as you sit on the staircase, exhaling a large puff of smoke. Stress is a bitch. Being in the same room as Diego has your senses on high alert and you can feel your body heating up as your leg bounces up and down. Is now a good time to start drinking? You sit there for a minute or two before the man of the hour walks out of the room and stops a few feet away from you once again.

“Since when did you start smoking cigarettes?” He interrogates you from a distance, watching as you take another long drag of smoke. No one really likes cigarettes. But no one really likes stressing out either. Evens out the playing field. It’s not like you’re proud of the habit but who is he to judge you?

The smoke fills your lungs with warmth before you exhale it all out through your nose and mouth. You lick your lips and take a deep breath as you feel yourself grow more and more irritated. He shouldn’t be looking at you the way he is. Like he really cares about you. Cigarettes are the least of your worries. You glare at him as you scoff, “What’s your damage, hm? Daddy dies and suddenly you give a shit about the people you abandoned?”

He clenches his jaw and cracks his neck as he takes in your reply. Seems like you hit a nerve. Sure, you sound like a dick right now but Luther’s interaction with you and Diego’s sudden spike of interest in your life was starting to really get on your nerves. “I don’t know who pissed in your coffee this morning but you better watch your mouth.” He replies in a dark voice.

You roll your eyes and raise the cigarette to your lips again to take another drag before it gets pinned to the railing of the staircase beside you. You bite the inside of your cheek angrily as the others pile out of the room, keeping your eyes on Diego as you feel the tension grow. Klaus catches your eye briefly as he walks past Diego, giving you the opportunity to leave the room.

You yank Diego’s knife out of the railing, the cigarette still attached, and take it with you as you walk past him, leaning in to growl, “Throw another knife in my direction and see what happens,  _ Number 2 _ .” before leaving the room with Klaus. You weren’t going to admit that the smell of his cologne made you want to drop the anger and give in. The grip you have on the knife is so tight that you feel it begin to cut into your palm before you drop it on the floor behind you, leaving it to sit there until someone else picks it up.

You and Klaus sit in the kitchen, eating the chocolate chip pancakes that Mom made for you as you two chat. “You know, Luther may not think you’re one of us… but he’s also an idiot.” Klaus laughs before stuffing a forkful into his mouth. Although you laugh with him, you can’t stop thinking about your interactions with Diego. You couldn’t help but feel like you overstepped a boundary when you talked about Hargreeves. It just slipped out of your mouth and before you knew it, you’d said it.

You want to make it seem like you have your shit together, more so than him, but it just makes you feel like an asshole. You shrug your shoulders and smile sadly, “Luther’s right though. I don’t even know why I came. Hargreeves didn’t even like me, Klaus. Neither did Allison or Luther. And… he’s here. Maybe I should just g-” Klaus shoves pancakes into your mouth to stop you from talking. Yeah, your rambling was a little too much and you could tell from his body language that he was getting tired of what you were saying.

He’s always hated you questioning your place here with them. Klaus and you only grew to be this close after Diego left and sadly Klaus only knew the version of you that felt this way. With Diego and Ben around, you felt like you had reason to be in the house and with the group. Once you lost that, you only really stuck around for Mom and Klaus even if you felt like you shouldn’t have.

He tries his hardest to make you feel some form of acceptance but without the other two there to help, you couldn’t help but give up on it. You try to finish the food in your mouth as Klaus explains, “Christ, (Y/N). My old man didn’t like anyone and screw Allison and Luther. When did you start caring about what they think about you? And, you know what, maybe it’s time to put your big girl pants on and talk to Diego instead of this whole weird, tense… thing, you’ve got going on.” You take a sip from your glass of water and let Klaus’s words sink in as he pats your shoulder and walks out.

Maybe your insecurities were also stemming from the fact that you were hiding a secret of your own and the death of Hargreeves was just poor timing. Your father died two months ago and since no one cared enough to let his only child know about this, you found out last week. A customer brought up that your old childhood home was up for sale and so you called the real estate agent who told you that the previous owner had died. Instead of mourning, you just went into work and forced the thought out of your mind.

It’s not like your mother would have known about his death. She left him right after you ran away. She never contacted you after you left but it’s not like she spoke to you in the house anyways. She was less of a mother, more of a stranger. She let the abuse happen; she gave the excuses at school, provided him with alcohol, and watched him hit you. Klaus was right, this place was your home regardless of what they said.

Even if Luther won’t admit it, you were there for him in some of his hardest moments. Like when Allison left… or when Luther got hurt. You were hiding in Klaus’s room, smoking a cigarette, when Luther came back from a mission on the verge of death. You wanted to stay with him and make sure that he was okay but Hargreeves threw you out of the house again. It was strange because you weren’t even sure how he knew you were in the house. He just stepped into Klaus’s room and yelled at you to leave at once, so you did. And when you came back, Grace told you that Luther was off on a mission to the moon.

And Allison used to come to you for advice when you two were teens, wondering what girls in public schools were like. What it was like living in the real world. You tried your hardest to explain it to her, showing her a yearbook that you borrowed from one of your classmates, sneaking her out of training to come to class with you, taking her to the mall, etc. You were her escape to the real world before she was accepted into it on her own.

It’s not their place to say whether this was your home or if you were really a part of the group. Grace walks up to you and takes the plate from you with a smile, “Darling, remember what we talked about? If you keep a smile on your face…” She turns her back towards you as she washes the dishes and you think about it for a second before breathing out, “then the hurt will go away.” A small smile appears on your face as she looks over her shoulder with a small laugh, “That’s my girl.”

This is your home. Grace is your real mom. Even if the rest of the household doesn’t feel the same, it doesn’t matter because you have Klaus, Pogo, and Grace to tell you differently. This is your family and maybe the feelings aren’t completely reciprocated all of the time, but you know, in your heart, that they feel the same. Even if it’s just a small part of them.

But what does that make him? Does that make Diego family to you too? Would it be possible for you to let your guard down with him? Or has too much time passed? You look up at the clock and realize that you were lost in your own mind again. Things were just getting to be too much and you’re itching for a way to rinse the guilt off of your mind.

You make your way to the bathroom, hoping that you don’t run into any of the siblings as you think things over. The lock clicks under your fingertips and you lean against the sink counter. Forgiveness is almost impossible when you think about the happy look on his face that he had when you saw him on that fateful day. You run your hands under the cool water, feeling them getting uncomfortably warm. The anger that you held in since that day was just waiting to come out and now with him so close, you feel on edge all of the time. You’re not going to leave the Academy just because he’s around but the way you’re feeling is driving you crazy.

You just want to forget the look he had in his eyes when he saw you in Grace’s spot. Surprise. Shock. Confusion. That’s all you saw. He wasn’t happy to see you, he was shocked that you had stuck around that long. And you wish you could ignore how electric you felt when he touched you. Forgetting Diego is impossible. After years of trying to forget him, that’s what your conclusion ended up being. How could you forget him?

No matter how many people you met, dated, slept with, or kissed; You couldn’t forget him. Your mind wouldn’t let you. None of them ever meant as much to you as Diego did all those years ago, so your relationships with them never lasted more than a month. Some may say you have commitment issues. Hell, even you think you might have some issues with committing. But you know that you just can’t commit to someone that doesn’t really have your heart.

Suddenly, music blasts throughout the house, a familiar song from your childhood, and you find yourself swaying back and forth to the sound… soon enough, you’re fully immersed in the song. For once in your life you let yourself be free and in the moment. The saying “dance like nobody’s watching” held very true in this room as you let your heart feel light again.

The world is callous and harsh, and you are a product of it; however, with the music ringing through the vents and down the hallways, you allow yourself to forget that. You’re alone and your heart is racing as you pump yourself up, reminding yourself of your old, childish self. Before you hardened your heart and closed yourself off. You’re here, having fun for the first time in years, and you’re unapologetically you. The world is outside these walls; this is what safety feels like. 

But safety isn’t guaranteed. Not here. Not in the Academy.

Thunder echoes through the house and the power shuts off abruptly, causing the music to stop. An odd rattling sound comes from inside the medicine cabinet and you stand watching it for a second, wondering if you should check it out. Just as you’re reaching out your hand to check out the noise, the door swings open and all of its contents fly across the room. You duck quickly and the pill bottles and boxes of bandages explode on the wall above your head. Your eyes widen out of fear and confusion as you briefly stare at the pills shaking on the floor beneath you.

What the fuck is happening? The sound of footsteps can be heard outside the door and you rush out, following quickly behind Vanya. In front of Vanya is Diego, who’s running out to the courtyard and unconsciously leading the rest of you to join him. You can hear Luther and Allison behind you as you step outside to find a strange scene; Something reminiscent of the Twilight Zone, with a bright blue light shining through a hazy forcefield-like object.

Panic erupts in your body as you stare at the light and your hands begin to shake. You’d never seen something like this before in your life. Vanya yells from your left side, “What is it?” The winds are so strong that you can barely hear her as you feel Luther and Allison on your right. Luther walks closer to the haze, a step beyond Diego, and Allison tries to pull him back.

“Don’t get too close!” Allison shouts, mainly at Luther as she grabs onto his bicep but also at the rest of the group. The blue thing is weird but you’re not stupid enough to walk into it. Diego sarcastically yells back at her, “Yeah, no shit!” without missing a beat. The words were on the tip of your tongue but he beat you to it. A small part of you feels happy to know that you and Diego still share the same sarcastic nature that you did back then but now’s not the time to reminisce.

You catch a glimpse of Allison’s grip on Luther and your mind wanders towards Diego’s direction, wanting to hold onto some part of him in hopes of gaining comfort but you’re too anxious and the cold is growing even stronger around you so you give up the idea. Luther begins to do his thing as the leader of the group and he assesses the situation in front of us. “Looks like some sort of temporal anomaly,” He begins his short explanation, “Either that or a miniature black hole. One of the two.” 

Typically Luther is good at examining how to deal with situations like this but he must be just as confused as the rest of you, which makes you even more worried about it. Diego, on the other hand, continues on his rampage of sarcasm, “Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan.” Normally you would have laughed at something like that but you’re under very different circumstances now.

Klaus comes running past you with a fire extinguisher and he throws it into the blue haze, making it vanish into it. So now we know that it not only can throw things across the house but it also can make things vanish… Great. You’ve completely tuned out of the conversation between the siblings due to the fact that you’re having a serious panic attack.

This is unusual for you because you’d always kept your cool in public but now you’re standing behind all of them with your heartbeat playing in your ears and the cold winds surrounding your whole body. The cold is numbing, yet your hands are even colder than the winds as you press them against your biceps. You close your eyes and feel yourself begin to rock back and forth, forcing the tightness out of your chest and the coldness away from you.

People say to think happy thoughts… For you, it's warm thoughts. Like a fireplace around Christmas, a fresh cup of coffee, a fluffy blanket, the arms of a loved one. Your eyes flick open and you’re more confused now than you were ten seconds ago. Five is here, in front of you, after having been missing for 17 years. The strangest thing is… Well, Five is the same age as he was when he disappeared aside from the huge suit that he has on. “Does anyone else see little Number Five, or is that just me? Klaus asks as he stands a few feet in front of you with everyone else. 

You want to check to make sure you’re seeing the real Number Five but you can taste the bile rushing up your throat and you excuse yourself to the bathroom once again. The nerves are just too much and it definitely wasn’t the best choice to only drink iced coffee before coming today. Grace shows up in the doorway before walking over to you with a glass of water, rubbing your back before helping you up and fixing your face.

Your mascara was running down your cheeks and you had to rinse your mouth out with water. “Let’s get you to bed.” She coos in your ear as she walks you up to the bedrooms. Your head aches and your hands like they’re on fire. It was an odd thing that often happened after you got sick or had a really mentally-taxing day. She stands in the doorway as you climb into Klaus’s bed, deciding that it would be best for you to sleep off the pain but your hands are still too hot.

You want to run them under the water like your father would… Well, your father would often push your whole body underwater but that wasn’t the point. Grace shushes you as you attempt to sit up, she rubs your hair and presses her cold hands against the heat of yours like she always does.Your eyes slowly shut as the heat in your hands goes down drastically.

The last thought in your mind as you drift to sleep is Five and the odd events you’re now a part of. What a mess you’ve found yourself in.


	3. Absinthe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego and those damn knives. The first family fight breaks out and someone has to play doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone giving Kudos and leaving comments! I’ve been scared to post this and left it in my files for the longest time but I feel confident now after the reassurance from you all! I’m so incredibly grateful!

_ Diego was always a hot-tempered person; anything and everything set him off except when he was with you. He tried his hardest to keep his cool around you but there was one night that he just couldn’t. Your rage and his rage accumulated to a very bad fight that the two of you never really got over. _

_ A few months prior to Diego leaving, you two had gotten into an argument about you going to college. All you wanted was to get away from here and try to pursue your dreams, whatever they may be. You weren’t entirely sure of what you wanted to do just yet but you knew that college was a part of that dream. Your classmates were all talking about college applications and which colleges that they were thinking about, so you started researching colleges whenever you had time at the library. None of them were even within 50 miles of here. _

_ The two of you were in his room when you brought up the colleges that you were applying to. You thought that he would be understanding and supportive towards your dreams but he wasn’t. Instead he called you selfish for choosing without having him in mind. His words were like daggers being thrown directly at your heart. You never imagined him being this cold towards you for trying to get out of here. _

_ The argument was stupid and unnecessary but it left your relationship in shambles. How could he act this negatively over you finally doing something good for yourself. You never fought with him. It was a peaceful relationship up until this moment. It moved from his room to the alley behind the Academy. You were planning on sleeping over but with how everything was going, the shit hole you called home was better than this. _

_ Finally, after almost an hour and a half of yelling at each other, you had enough and decided that you would just leave. There you were, having a stupid argument when you could be studying some more to get into the college you dreamed of going to. You rolled your eyes and shook your head before turning your back on him and heading down the alley. “(Y/N), we’re not done talking.” He growled from behind you, grabbing your wrist. This was where everything went from bad to worse. _

_ He had a habit of trying to hold you back every time you wanted to leave and it used to be something you liked about him but this time it just pissed you off. This wasn’t out of compassion or care, it was because of his own selfish anger and need to be right. You attempted to wiggle out of his grasp but your temper was growing as well and so you used your other hand to pry his fingers off of you. He wouldn’t let go although you could tell he was in pain. When he held you back all those times before, was it out of care or selfishness? _

_ Before long, you two got into a real, physical fight. He was mostly blocking every punch you threw at him and you were getting your frustrations out. Unfortunately you both went too far, as fights with him usually ended up, and you both got hurt. It was so quick. He was fuming when you took, what you thought was, one last glance at him before turning your back and taking a few steps away.  _

_ You landed a solid punch on his upper cheekbone and left a red mark there. It’s not that you wanted to end things like this, you just needed to take a breather. That wasn’t what ended up happening. Time seemed to slow down as you felt the sharp blade graze the back of your thigh. The palms of your hands were pressed against your temples to try to gather your thoughts but once you felt that knife cut into you, the whole world stopped spinning and you yelped in pain. _

_ You turned around to look at him, praying that it was just your imagination playing a trick on you but when you saw Diego you knew that it was reality. Diego looked at the hand that threw the knife before quickly turning his attention back to you. He was the one who cleaned your wounds, not the person giving them to you. He took a step toward you, while you took 3 steps back. There was a silence that came between you two that had never been there before. _

_ The cut wasn’t deep but it was big. It ran from just beneath your butt to mid thigh, dripping with blood. That moment changed everything between the two of you and you ran from him. Even with the pain from the cut, you ran away from the Academy and hurried to your home. You snuck in through your window and cleaned up your cut in your room with a small first aid kit. _

_ You didn’t speak to each other for a week after that. It had never been that bad before but neither of you knew how to apologize. You were still so young and the way you two grew up… there was no way either of you could have known how to cope, it’s not like you two meant to hurt each other like that. Without talking about it, your relationship was slowly falling apart. You frequented his window less often then, only once a week at most, and he put less effort into seeing you. _

_ It was for the best. You were leaving for you. Not for anyone else. _

_ If only you knew then what you know now. Maybe you would have apologized… Hell, maybe you would have just kept your mouth shut in the first place. Maybe he would have stayed. _

*

The house is eerily silent once you wake up so you decide to check out where everyone else went. You check the time and quickly realize that they must be doing a memorial service in the courtyard. There’s a glass of water on the nightstand and you take a sip from it before jogging up to the courtyard, tying your hair up in the process. You weren’t asleep for very long but as you step out the door and into the rain, you come to the conclusion that you probably should have slept through this.

Diego and Luther are a few feet apart from each other, arguing over Hargreeves’ ashes. Sadly, this is expected from the two of them. Even as kids they never seemed to agree with one another. Everyone is holding a black umbrella except for Klaus, who’s carrying a pink one, and the two men fighting. You walk over and stand between Klaus and Five, still curious to see if he’s really there.

Diego yells at Luther as he gets closer and closer to him, “He had to ship you a million miles away.” Five turns his head up to greet you, both of you ignoring the chaos, as he smiles, “Glad to know you stuck around. Still attached at the hip?” He gestures towards Diego with his head, insinuating that you and Diego could be more than the strangers that you are. You roll your eyes and bite the inside of your cheek.

Five was always a snarky jerk but you have to admit that you missed him over the past 17 years. The two of you were friends as kids but not much more than you were friends with Vanya or the others. You and Five shared common interests but with Ben, Klaus, and Diego taking your time, you weren’t left with much to spare for others. You’re also a bit concerned by the fact that he’s still… well, a teenage boy. You always imagined that if Five were to show up again, he’d be your age. “Glad to know you’re alive.” You say with a soft smile, wrapping your arms around him for just a second before releasing him.

“That’s how much he couldn’t stand the sight of you.” Diego spits at Luther, pressing his finger into his chest, before the fist fight begins right above Hargreeves’s ashes. Sibling rivalry runs deep between these two. Of course, a funeral isn’t the most appropriate time for a fist-fight to occur but is there ever really an appropriate time?

“Boys, stop this at once.” Pogo demands across from you, and you smile at him softly. You know that even after all these years have passed, those two won’t stop until something goes really wrong. It must be in their nature to want to kill each other every time they’re in the same room. One time you came over as a teenager just to watch Diego fly past the doorway and launch himself at Luther. Familial fights were always an entertaining show at the Academy.

Klaus puts his arm in front of you and Five, to protect the both of you, but Five gives him an annoyed look and pushes his arm down. It makes you wonder what really happened to him and if he’s still the same Five that he was years ago. “Come on, big boy!” Diego eggs Luther on as the fight becomes worse and worse. Diego was gaining that look in his eyes that meant that if things didn’t end soon there would be no going back. The rain only added to his fury. Seems as though a lot went on while you were napping.

“Stop it!” Vanya exclaims while Klaus simultaneously yells “Hit him! Him him!” with a lit cigarette between his lips. You chuckle slightly at Klaus, knowing that you’d react the same if you were really trying to piss Luther off. Klaus wraps his arm around your shoulder and pulls you in closer, ensuring that you’re warm enough although you barely feel the cold. You watch as Vanya pulls her coat over her shoulder which appears really odd. The weather is gloomy and fairly damp but aside from that you feel nice and comfortable.

Pogo walks off while shaking his head as he realizes that there’s no way to stop them. They continue to fight and, just like Pogo, Five leaves as well. He would always get bored of the fighting after a few minutes of watching. He’d stand beside you and Vanya, critiquing their moves and posture before growing bored once the fight got more intense. Seems at least that part of him hasn’t changed at all. Our childhood was… extraordinary to say the least.

You turn to look at Mom but she seems to have gotten a bit lost in her own mind, a blank look in her eyes as she stands there with her lips slightly parted. If it weren’t for Klaus, you’d probably have done the same. You’re still a little tired and the warmth you feel isn’t helping your post-nap drowsiness. It’s as if you close your eyes for just a quick moment and when you open them, Ben’s head is detached from his body. Part of you wants to cry and the other part of you wants to laugh, it’s just so… stupid.

You watch as Allison attempts to leave but the familiar sound of Diego’s knives reels her back in and brings your attention back to Diego. Your eyes widen as Klaus drops his arm from your shoulder in shock; There’s no going back now. “Diego, no!” Vanya yells just as Diego throws the knife at Luther’s arm. The scene plays out so slowly in your mind and you get lost in your head as the knife travels through the air. You know how it feels to be on the receiving end of that action and the stinging is intense afterwards. More painful than most cuts.

Ben’s head is gone. Five is back. Diego and Luther fought. And you’re here. The world is a very strange place. You return to reality as Grace stands in front of you, calling out your name to pull you out of your mind. Klaus must have walked away from you because now you’re drenched from the rain. Diego hides behind Grace as she holds her hand out for you, “If you don’t get inside soon, you’ll catch a cold.” Instinctively, you grab onto her hand as she leads you back inside with Diego. 

She lets go of your hand and suddenly walks away from the two of you, leaving you both standing in the hallway just dripping onto the floor. You glance at Diego and almost immediately notice a small bruise appearing on his forehead. He wasn’t ever careful enough when he fought with Luther back then and he definitely wasn’t careful now and he knows that, turning his head towards the other direction to hide it from you.

At first, you don’t say a word to him. Part of you hoping that he’d just give up and walk away but that doesn’t happen and your concern beats your stubbornness. You turn your attention to the bruise, reaching up to inspect it and check if it’s as bad as you think. His hair is drenched and his face is cold to the touch. Your fingertips linger on his forehead longer than you mean for them to but you haven’t been this close to him in a long time and it’s just so hard to not get lost in your mind.

Diego looks down at you and gives you a nervous smile as he speaks, “You gonna chastise me for being a bad brother?” There’s a hopeful look in his eyes as he talks to you but you try to ignore it. Every time he looks at you, you can feel your heart rate pick up speed and all you want is to pretend that nothing ever happened. There’s so many emotions running through your mind but you know now that if he has one bruise, then there’s definitely going to be others.

You look into his eyes for only a moment before shaking your head at the thought and grabbing his wrist, “You need ice.” The two of you head towards the kitchen in complete silence and you leave Diego in the doorway as you search the freezer for an ice pack. The best option that you have is a package of frozen peas and you bite your cheek, acknowledging that this will have to be enough. You pull it out and shut the freezer door, turning around to see Diego twisting a knife between his fingertips.

That reminds you of the possibility of cuts on his body. If he’s got any, then you can take care of that in his room. You don’t want any of his siblings seeing how you two interact with each other now, it would just make you feel even more inclined to return home and never come back. Neither of you speak, you both just simmer in the tension before you brush past him and lead the way back to his bedroom.

You stop in front of the doorway, so close to not going in, but once Diego catches up to you, you force yourself in. It’s better if he thinks you’re completely unaffected by this situation… even though that’s far from the truth. Just stepping into the room causes your breath to get caught in your chest. You haven’t stepped foot in here for probably 4 or 5 years but it’s spotless.

Grace made sure that it was tidied up for his return. The photo of the two of you is in the same spot that it was in before, she replaced the frame but there are little scorch marks on the side. It was hard to recall where they came from. This tiny room held so many memories, good and bad, and it’s only after you feel Diego’s eyes on you that you realize how long you’ve been standing there.

You place the makeshift ice pack on the bed and walk over to his dresser to grab him, as well as yourself, some dry clothes. You’ll be sick if you have to wear these ones any longer. Diego probably can’t even fit into these shirts anymore… he’s not the same size that he was when you two were 17 but you can definitely fit into his old clothes.

You hand him a pair of sweatpants and a black undershirt and you take a pair for yourself as well as an old t-shirt you probably bought for him. He stares at the clothes you’ve given him in confusion so you cross your arms over your chest and say, “You can’t wear this wet… costume around the house all day, Di… ego. Diego.”

He lightens up a bit at your mistake, you didn’t mean to call him by his nickname but it just slipped out before you could really fix things. And your attempt at fixing it was pretty awful. “It’s not a costume.” He mumbles as he begins to undress in front of you. For a few seconds, you stand in front of him as he pulls his wet shirt off. You take a few steps back and as the shirt covers his eyes, you can’t stop your eyes from wandering over his body.

If someone were to check your heartbeat right now, they’d probably say something about how insanely fast it’s going. You avert your eyes as he fully pulls the shirt off and throws it into his laundry hamper. Back when you two were teenagers, changing in front of each other wasn’t awkward or weird. But you were also a teenager… now you’re a fully grown woman with a bit more in areas that you didn’t have much back then. You quickly turn around as he starts to pull his pants off, “If we’re both going to change here, you should probably turn around.”

He gives you a funny look, “Why? We used to change in front of each other all the time.” You glance over your shoulder and wonder if he’s doing this on purpose. It’s not like you’re scared of being in your underwear in front of people, you’ve been in relationships before. It’s the fact that it’s Diego, a barely clothed version of him standing just a few feet away from you with his eyes directly on you as you’re about to change.

Your wet clothes cling to your body tightly and you feel yourself growing more and more restless as you sigh, “Don’t you think things have changed a little bit since then?” You watch as he looks up and down your body, checking you out, and suddenly you feel way more insecure than before. Was it a good idea to wear leggings and a thin long-sleeve? It felt ideal in the moment but now you realize that they’re very see-through. 

He smiles a bit and shrugs, “Doesn’t bother me.” Not even in puberty was Diego this cocky. He knows how handsome he is and he’s trying to play with you again. It won’t work this time. Not after everything that went on. You return to your serious expression as you clench your jaw, showing him you’re done with this. “Well, it bothers me. Turn around.” You say and cock an eyebrow in his direction. He puts his hands up in defense as his pants begin to fall down slightly. You turn around quickly to avoid the scene about to unfold in front of you and take a deep breath before changing out of your clothes quickly. You were done with this a few seconds ago… but now you can’t stop thinking about his v-line and how fast your heart is racing.

God, he’s always had this attitude that had you head over heels. It’s not fair. It’s so incredibly not fair. You pull the sweatpants on, trying to hide your red cheeks, before pulling the shirt on as you turn to face him again. “You done?” He calls over his barren shoulder, allowing you to stare at his back muscles… and scars. Staring at his back for just a few seconds longer, you respond with a quick “yeah” and grab the bag off of the bed before sitting down on it.

He throws the shirt onto the dresser and takes a seat beside you, facing you as you reach out and press the frozen bag against the bruise on his forehead. “Couldn’t have put the shirt on?” You mumble as you focus on your own hand instead of him. His chest is bare and it’s throwing you off your game. He has a few other bruises on his abdomen, nothing serious, but his shirtlessness just makes the whole situation far more tense than it has to be. He smirks at you and rests his hand on your knee, turning his body towards you as he cockily retorts, “I was just getting ready for you to play doctor.”

You raise your eyebrow at him, finally looking into his eyes, as you sarcastically reply, “Wow, you actually learned how to be funny. Only took 30 years.” The hardest part of being beside him is knowing that this isn’t going to last. If you let your guard down, are you okay with getting hurt again? There’s butterflies in your stomach from the closeness and his eyes looking directly into yours. He gazes into your eyes and laughs softly, “Christ, that makes me feel old.”

You move your hand and press the bag against a bruise on his chest. “You’ve got wrinkles, buddy. I’m still in my prime.” You smile at him and allow yourself to be a bit more open with him. There’s barely any wrinkles on his face, just a few smile lines and crinkles close to his eyes but that’s it. Those were already forming back when you were last together. He shakes his head at you and chuckles, “Probably earned them today. And I’ve always been funny. You just never noticed.”

He wraps his hand around your wrist and scoots back so that his back is against the wall. You follow his lead as you rest with your back against the cold glass of the window, sitting at a comfortable distance away from him. There hasn’t always been a comfortable distance between you two. It used to be comfortable only if you were leaning against him or holding each other. Distance was something that grew between the two of you over time.

A small silence takes over the conversation but his touch still lingers on your wrist and it forces you to feel even warmer now than you did before. You try to focus on icing his bruises on his chest now but his choice of area to get pierced catches you off guard and a small giggle escapes your lips. Diego never seemed like a nipple piercing kind of guy. “Nice piercing.” You smirk, chuckling slightly as you look into his eyes.

You glance down at it for a second before returning your eyes to the bruise. His confidence is incredible and he laughs along with you, “Nice tattoos. Never saw you as a tattoo person.” He points at the one next to his hand, your favorite one; a small silhouette of Ben holding an umbrella. The only person influential enough in your life to be commended for it on your body… but that tattoo is the only visible one. The rest are on your back with a few scattered on your collarbone.

“Yeah, things are really different now.” You say as a soft blush takes over your cheeks. Diego must have seen the others while you were changing… and he was supposed to have his back turned. He smirks at you softly before taking the pack of ice from your hand. He takes over the job of icing his wounds and you turn more so that your back is against the wall. It’s far more peaceful without all the talking. Diego places his hand on your kneecap once again, reminding you of the old habit that he had of doing that when you two were kids. Before he left.

He left you.

You recall your uncomfortable reunion from earlier, where he threw a knife in your direction, and shift a bit so that he has to move his arm back into his lap. He glances at you with a slightly pained look in his eyes, he doesn’t want you to go cold on him again. “When did you change the frame?” He asks as a way to change the atmosphere, sounding slightly disappointed by what transpired. Nothing can change the truth. He LEFT you. And that’s something that you can’t let go of.

“Grace did. When you left.” You speak just above a whisper, hoping that maybe he couldn’t hear you as you grow warm again. His body tenses up and he stares straight forward at the wall in front of him. He probably didn’t want to talk about it, wanted us to pretend that nothing happened. But it happened. It changed everything about you. The nights you spent crying, hoping that maybe it was temporary. A few months. A few years. He won’t look you in the eyes now as you finally confess the truth. That one statement carried years of hurt that couldn’t be explained without it. Maybe now isn’t the right time to talk about this. Maybe there will never be a right time. Maybe this is just how things are going to be for the rest of your-

“I needed to go. It felt like the right time, y’know, morning of my birthday. Like you said, I needed to make plans on my own. For my future.” He explains, still looking at the wall in front of him. He grew just as still as you, both of your moods change very quickly. The atmosphere grew from comfortable to tense, just like earlier in the day. His explanation didn’t cool you down, you felt your body begin to heat up as you think of how much more you deserved than that simple explanation.

“You didn’t even say goodbye. You… I came that night and found your room a mess. Moving on doesn’t need to involve leaving others behind.” You respond, trying to speak calmly although you feel the frustration coursing through your veins. Of course, part of you understands why he did what he did but why couldn’t he come find you afterwards? Was he ashamed of you and his past? Were you holding him back?

He turns to face you with an irritated expression as he counters, “I seem to remember that you were planning on leaving a few months later anyways. I just did it before you could talk me out of it.” That’s what gave him that idea? You wanting to leave for college is what made him run away? You take in his words before clenching your jaw and getting up from the bed, attempting to calm yourself down. “How did college go by the way? Must have been nice to be a little bit normal for a while.” He scoffs, finally showing his true colors.

The anger built up from years of resentment and abandonment explodes in you as you hear him say these things to you. “Before I could talk you out of it? Who was talking who out of leaving all those years ago? At least when I thought about leaving, I had the balls to tell you.” You spit at him, spinning on your heels to look him in the eyes as you continue, “And to answer your stupid question, I don’t know how college went because I didn’t fucking go. I stayed behind because I couldn’t stand the thought of you coming back and finding yourself in the fucking mess you put me into.”

His eyes widen as he realizes the truth, you never left because of him. He held you back from your future. The dreams you had. The future you planned for months. He held you back. You never held him back. You stand in silence, your eyes brim with tears, before taking a few steps towards the door. You gave up everything for him but he never came back for you. What he gave up was you.

“Did your cop friends tell you that I looked for you?” You say, quaking with anger as you wait to see his response, “I spent 8 years searching for you out there. I… I made a fool of myself by asking the police for help because when I finally found you, you were right there beside them. You were happy, wearing that outfit and walking down the street with the people I begged to help me find you…” Angry tears pour from your eyes as you tell him the reality that you’ve been living with for the past 12 years. He clenches his jaw and stares at his hands with questioning eyes, holding the ice pack in his hand.

“ _ You _ , of all people, abandoned  _ me _ and you didn’t even care. W-When I saw you that day in the street, I couldn’t stop thinking about how pathetic I must have seemed to have given up my whole future for a man who left me in the past. I would have given up everything if you asked me to go with you but you didn’t.” Your voice is shaky and full of pain as you finally finish telling him the truth, “Hope I didn’t hold you back too much,  _ Number Two _ .”

The last sentence of your rant left you in shambles, these walls you had built up over the years finally fell apart. You’re seething with a venomous anger and a burning pain in your hands that won’t leave. He stares at you with his hands shaking in his lap. The old you would have helped him calm down but the old you is gone. There’s no point in staying with him anymore, you need to get out.

The heat in the room is unbearable and all you want is some fresh air and time to cool off. All of that built up anger completely exasperated you and so you swing the door open, only to be met with a sharp pain in your head and your hands. Ringing fills your ears and suddenly you’re on the ground, clutching your hands. Your hands feel like someone poured gasoline on them and set them ablaze yet your lower half feels frozen.

Screams escape your mouth but you can’t hear anything besides the ringing… until it all ends and there’s no sound at all. No sound. No light. No temperature.


	4. The World is Ugly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Overheating... in both ways? You struggle with understanding your true self. The Hargreeves struggle to understand you too. Leave it to Mom...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i’ve been working crazy hours and starting school again so posting these chapters are gonna start to be a little irregular. but i’ll try to get them out asap!

_ The first time that you had encountered Sir Reginald Hargreeves was another one of those times you snuck into his house. You were 13 and your father threw you into the street for the night after you had spoken to him without being spoken to. It was a really rough night for you, you had nowhere else to go but the Academy. _

_ You knocked on Diego’s bedroom window as you usually did, praying that he was still awake. No one wants to be woken up at 2am. He opened the curtains to find you waiting with a bloodied lip and multiple other wounds. He had been practicing his knife throwing in place of tossing and turning in his bed. The two of you look at each other as he opens the window for you. _

_ “What happened? You look awful.” He asked as he helped you in. You closed the window as you took a seat on his bed. The blood was dried and all that you really had left were small cuts on your chest from your father kicking and punching you. “Just asked a question. Guess that was enough to set the old man off.” You say, attempting to laugh the situation away. _

_ You wouldn’t say it to Diego, but you hadn’t eaten all day and you asked your Father if you could make yourself dinner. It wasn’t the first time that he had beaten you over something as small as that, he was a violent person… especially when he was drunk. Diego didn’t know this but you were always scared that the next time you’d get beat it’d be your last. You were terrified of your father’s strength and there was a part of you that hoped it would all end soon. _

_ The other part held onto the hope that you’d leave one day and never have to deal with that pain again. Diego brought his hand up beneath your chin and you felt your cheeks warm up. Moments like these were what gave you that hope. He looked over your bruises and cuts. You closed your eyes as his touch warmed your cold face and let you feel safe with him. The look he gave you after seeing your wounds was always one full of sadness. _

_ It’s not that you always came over with injuries but when you did, they were bad enough for him to worry. He hated checking you for bruises, cuts, etc. He couldn’t stand to see you in pain. He took your hand and led you to the bathroom, pulling out some bandages and Hydrogen Peroxide to clean your scrapes and deeper cuts. He placed these items on the counter beside you as you hopped onto it, pulling your shirt up to expose a few small cuts that were caused by your fathers rings and boots. _

_ “We could run away together, y’know.” He mumbled under his breath as he pressed a cotton pad full of Hydrogen Peroxide against a cut on your abdomen. This was the first time Diego ever brought that idea up out loud. You always dreamt about it; what it would be like with just the two of you. No more worrying about the beatings or Diego’s missions, you and him could make it on your own. _

_ Your small hand moved to his cheek, cupping it softly, as you nod in response. “We could. We could probably pack up all of our stuff now and leave forever. Maybe we could go to the beach, I’d like that a lot.” You smiled as you imagined a life with a sense of normalcy. You felt his cheeks warm up and you both sat in the comfortable silence for a minute or two, thinking about what you two would do. He was about to respond, but Hargreeves stepped into the doorway as Diego was cleaning the cut on your lip. _

_ “Number Two, go back to your room immediately.” He demanded in a stern voice before turning to you. Diego turned to look at his father with hatred in his eyes, he had never come down before this moment. The two of you were being quiet, how could he have noticed your presence? Was he lurking? Listening in on your conversation? Diego ignored his father and continued to clean the last of your wounds, covering them quickly with bandages. Hargreeves placed his hand on Diego’s shoulder, “Do not disobey me, Number Two. Return to your room.” _

_ Diego stood in front of you, but that didn’t stop Hargreeves from grabbing you by the arm and scolding you as he took you to the front door. Diego was yelling out to you from the hallway, trying to get Hargreeves to let you go. He didn’t want to give up but he knew that he couldn’t force the old man to let you go. Luther came out of his room and held Diego back from doing something that he would regret, but Diego still tried his hardest to reach you. “LUTHER, LET ME GO.” Was the last thing you heard him yell before a fight broke out between the brothers. _

_ You were growing warm as Hargreeves’s grip got a hell of a lot tighter around your forearm. He was not as aggressive as your Father, but you feared him just the same. There were so many things he did to your friends that you couldn’t trust him. Hargreeves noticed your sudden change in temperature and shook your arm, “You are not allowed in my home again. Do you understand me, you insolent child?” _

_ The heat was growing out of control and you began to cry silently from your frustration. It wasn’t fair. You had already been thrown out of one home, now you were being kicked out of another. “Yes, sir.” You muttered under your shaky breath. All you wanted was for him to loosen his grip and let you leave on your own accord. The least he could do was let you leave with a small sense of dignity. You had nowhere to go. He jumped and released your arm as your free hand tried to pull his fingers off of your arm. _

_ He stared at you in confusion, before opening the door for you to leave. You felt a small smile grow on your tear-stained face as you felt yourself slowly cool down. You stepped into the darkness outside with a small sense of pride, and made your way back to your abusive household where your father was waiting to see you again. _

_ Hargreeves didn’t bother you in the house again after that but he knew when you and Diego were together. He let it slide when he heard giggling coming from that bedroom at night, and he ignored the mornings where Diego would ask Grace for more food just for it to suddenly disappear. Something in his mind changed that night but you were just glad that you wouldn’t have to deal with him again. _

_ * _

You wake up in Klaus’s bed with the covers kicked onto the floor, feeling well-rested and safe. The smell of eggs and bacon fills your senses as you rub your eyes and sit up, feeling your stomach growl loudly. Your hunger is so overwhelming that instead of getting up or changing, you head straight into the kitchen towards the scent of breakfast. As you walk through the doorway, you find Luther and Allison sitting together with Mom placing their plates in front of them saying, “Now eat up. Both of you.”

It’s strange that Allison is still here, you were sure that she’d be gone by this morning. What’s even more strange is that they’re sitting there talking with Mom. Luther never really acknowledged her as a real mother… but Luther also has two emotions: Angry and confused. Their eyes turn to you as you head in and make yourself a cup of coffee, leaning your head on Mom’s shoulder as she says something about making you a plate as well.

Allison calls out to you and stumbles a bit on her words, “You’re finally awake. We were starting to think that you’d never wake up.” Never wake up? It can’t really be that late, the sun looks like it’s still fresh in the sky. You cock your head to the side a bit and glance at the clock. You chuckle at her odd statement, “Had no idea 10am was late.” You turn around to face the two of them as you lean against the counter, sipping your coffee.

Luther and Allison give each other an odd look before turning back to you. The coffee is bitter but this house never has any great creamer and you’re not going out of your way to buy any if no one really lives here anymore. “You’ve been asleep for two days.” Luther explains quickly and quietly as he eats his meal. The tone of his voice seems like he’s trying to avoid a reaction but the words he’s saying makes no sense.

Two days? There’s no way in Hell that you slept for two days without waking up once. You smile a little bit, confused at first, before furrowing your eyebrows and asking, “How’s that even possible?” Allison tucks a stray strand of her hair behind her ear as she sighs, “You and Diego were arguing in his room and then suddenly we heard a loud thud and I looked over to see Klaus carrying you over his shoulder and into his room. He was congratulating Diego on getting you to shut up.” 

Luther shovels another bite into his mouth as he watches your reaction. All you can remember is finally telling Diego the truth and then trying to walk out. After that, everything is hazy. “Pogo and Grace checked you out and said everything was fine, you just needed to sleep. So we let you sleep.” Luther concludes before getting up and putting his plate in the sink with Allison following right behind him.

Before you can ask anymore questions, they’ve left you sitting in the kitchen with a plate of eggs and bacon shaped like a smiley face and Mom washing their plates. You take a few bites and try to figure out what could have led to you sleeping for that amount of time. It’s not like you were overworking yourself, you barely took any shifts at work… Fuck, you never called into work.

You place your half-eaten plate into the sink and give Mom a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing back to your apartment to shower and pack a bag with some clothes. You’ve had a strange feeling since waking up this morning that you’ll be spending a lot more time in the Academy. You also need to check in with your manager to see if you should head back in today.

The drive there has you questioning what’s been going on with you lately. You were so exhausted the other day. Not to mention, you fainted. You had always chalked your temperature extremities up to undiagnosed anemia because you remembered a girl in your high school was anemic and she would always have the coldest hands. But now that you’re thinking about it more and more, it seems like it’s way more than just anemia. The unbearable warmth that would envelope your hands whenever you felt angry or anxious. There was something very wrong about you and it’s not just an iron-deficiency.

You park in your parking spot and pull your phone out to call your manager as you walk up the steps to your apartment. The phone rings twice before she picks up, “(Y/N)! Is everything alright?” You shove your key into the lock and twist the handle, opening the door to your home. “Hey, sorry I haven’t called in. I just got really busy with this whole… situation. And I just-” You begin to explain that you can come in whenever they need you but she dismisses your statement immediately, “Take all the time you need. We can cover your shifts, just get everything settled and then we can talk about work.”

You thank her before you both say a quick goodbye and end the call. It’s not odd behavior coming from her, you’ve been working there long enough to have some seniority in the diner. The patrons love you, your coworkers rely on you, and your manager definitely cares about your wellbeing. You lock the door behind you and head straight into the bathroom, undressing in a rush to get into the shower as the water heats up.

The water rushes down every curve of your body and each strand of hair is coated in it before you begin to shampoo your hair. You glance down at your hands, wondering how it was possible for them to change so quickly. It should be impossible for anyone to do something that… extraordinary. You push the thoughts out of your mind and force yourself to finish your shower without thinking about it.

You cover yourself with a towel and walk out of the bathroom door and attempt to head towards your bedroom as you hear a familiar voice call out your name, scaring you and causing you to jump a bit and let your towel fall slightly, “Shit! God damn it, Diego.” Diego stands against your couch, turning to face you as you clutch your towel to your chest. He’s speechless for a few seconds as his eyes rake over your figure, causing you to tighten your grip on the towel.

“You sh-should lock your windows.” He explains, stuttering, as he attempts to focus only on your eyes. You sigh as you feel the water from your hair drop onto your shoulders, “I live on the second floor, Diego. No one thinks to scale a wall other than you. You could just knock like a normal person.” You head into your bedroom and shut the door slightly, changing into a new outfit.

“That scar isn’t as visible anymore.” He calls out from what seems to be the bathroom, causing you to blush as you’re pulling a hoodie over your head. The scar he’s talking about is the one he’d left years ago, just a few inches below your butt. You walk back out in casual clothing, a pair of athletic leggings and a comfortable hoodie, with a bag in your hand as Diego sits on your couch with a knife in his hand. “So I assume Klaus gave you my address. Why? I was just about to head back.” You ask as you gesture towards your bag near the front door, twirling your keys around your finger.

Diego takes a deep breath as he gets up from his seat, “Klaus can’t drive, so they sent me here. They, uh… Luther said it’s about Mom.” A cold breeze blows through the room, and you bring your hands together anxiously.  _ What’s wrong with Mom?  _ Diego notices, as your hands turn pale, and walks over to touch them, “It’ll be fine. I promise you.” You pull away quickly, not allowing his touch to linger on your skin. 

He made a lot of promises. This is one you hope he’ll keep.

Soon enough, you and Diego are walking out the front door. He insists on driving you there instead of you taking your car so that you wouldn’t be alone. You aren’t too keen on leaving your car behind but you don’t really have a choice. He’s already taking the bag out of your hands and bringing you to his car. The car ride with Diego was a little awkward. You never wanted to admit it as a child, or as a teenager, or even as an adult; but Diego would always be your first love. “Where were you this morning? Kinda early to be on any sort of vigilante mission.” You ask as you attempt to break the awkwardness.

Two days went by and yet the uncomfortable silence left over from the argument still seemed to remain. He glances over at you and answers you as he drives, “I was helping out a friend, there was a shootout in some department store last night. I thought I’d check it out.” Instead of keeping this angry attitude up, you leave it back in that room that night. There has to be some way to change us.

“Diego Hargreeves has friends? This is surprising news.” You tease, hoping for at least a small smile out of him. This situation was stressful enough, we all needed a laugh at some point. He rolls his eyes and laughs, “She’s an old friend from the Police Academy. We have some… history.” He leaves that last part hanging in the air which catches you by surprise. You pretend that it doesn’t affect you much. It shouldn’t affect you at all. You two had nothing, he was your best friend years ago. Nothing more, nothing less. But as you grow silent, you realize that it does affect you to know that he has “history” with another woman. It hurts. But it’s not like you were any different, you had a few short-term partners in the past decade and you definitely didn’t save yourself after he left.

“Speaking of surprises, I was surprised when I got home and saw that you were gone. I half-expected to see you drooling all over Klaus’s pillow again on day three.” He jokes, trying to fill the silence like you tried. You smile at him, but the smile doesn’t fully carry to your eyes. You still have his words floating in your mind. Klaus must have been surprised too, he’s heaven sent to have carried you from Diego’s room into his so that you’d wake up in a comfortable place.

You give him a little chuckle, finally snapping out of your zoned-out daze. “Two days is a long time to be asleep.” You smile at him, slight concern in your voice. He keeps his eyes on the road and you can tell that he’s trying to find the right thing to say. Neither of you are innocent in any of this and you try to let yourself be more open towards him. You place your left hand on his knee, hoping that it may help him in some way.

“Arguing with you sucks. I never… I don’t know. You got so angry and the room was so hot, I’m pretty sure I was sweating. And your hands...” He explains as he pulls into the alleyway near the house. That was the worst argument that you’d ever had with him, you’d finally let yourself express the hurt his actions left you with but it just sucked the life out of you.

You take a second to gather your thoughts and mumble, “Maybe you just imagined it.” The thought passes through your lips before you can stop yourself from saying it. You were mostly speaking to yourself, hoping that maybe you were just going insane. There’s no way that something like that could take you down.He turns to face you before shaking his head, “You should really get those records from your dad.” There were so many things that he didn’t know about you. Your father was gone forever, and there were no records to be found. They lost all of your birth information, social security card and birth certificate, and didn’t tell you until you began college applications.

Time stops slightly, and the car suddenly grows cold, as you give Diego a soft smile, “I don’t think I want to bother Klaus with bringing that old bastard back.” The man who abused you was dead and gone, yet you still feel as though you are at fault. As if you could have done something to help him. You hated him more than anything, but you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He was the only father you had ever known, and maybe that’s why you made excuses for feeling sad about losing him.

He shifts and glances down at his air conditioner vents before going back to looking at you. “Shit, I-I’m sorry… We’ll figure this out together, you and me. Just like how it used to be.” He sighs as he squeezes your hand as a sign of comfort. You both look into each other’s eyes and it feels like there’s nothing else going on. No deaths. No separation. It’s like you’re still the same 16 year old in love with the man in front of her. He begins to lean closer to you, moving his hand to your cheek. You close your eyes and rest your head on his hand; you never realized how tired of being angry you were.

There’s a loud tapping on the window and you open your eyes to find Klaus standing behind Diego waving. Diego clenches his jaw slightly before turning around to face his brother. “Were you two planning on joining this meeting, or were you just going to make out in the car all day?” He says with a mocking tone before mimicking your voice, “ _ Oh Diego, just take me now.” _

This causes you to glare at him as you stifle a laugh from his ridiculous impression of you. “Alright, alright asshole.” Diego responds as he gets out of the car, cursing under his breath. In turn, you also get out of the car, holding your bag close to your chest, and trail behind the brothers as you enter the Academy. You have absolutely no idea what almost happened, but you try to take your mind off of it. He was just trying to comfort you. That was all. Diego glances back at you every so often to make sure that you’re still there.

Upon entering the room, you notice Allison, Vanya, and Luther near the bar. You stand beside Klaus as Luther prefaces the tape in the VCR, you wonder why they’re acting so odd. Vanya glances towards you and you mouth,  _ Is something wrong? _ She shrugs and mouths back,  _ Something about Mom. _ Her response brings about a small surge of fear in the pit of your stomach and you pray, to whichever God there is, that nothing is going to happen.

The tape begins to play and you watch as Grace enters Hargreeves’s bedroom and without missing a beat, she serves him a cup of tea then bends down and suddenly there’s no more monocle and Hargreeves seems to be gone in an instant. The uncertainty of the whole situation plays in your mind over and over again. Grace could never do that to anyone, she didn’t murder him. And, so what if she did? The old man was abusive and neglected his own children. Neglected her. You didn’t want to believe what had just happened and you felt the cold erupt inside of you. Mom wouldn’t hurt anyone, you knew that for a fact.

“I threw it away.” Diego responds as Allison scoffs. You had finally come back to planet earth, spacing out at the worst possible times was probably the worst thing your mind would do for you. Vanya shifted in her jacket and pulled it tighter around her. Instead of paying much attention to Diego and Luther fighting once again, you followed Klaus. Trying to catch up on what you’d missed.

He whispers everything to you and you two stand side by side as Vanya attempts to split up the fight. Sleeping for two days and spacing out every other minute left you almost completely out of the loop. You listened to the others as some form of background noise until you heard Luther speak. “Well, if her hardware is degrading, then… we need to turn her off.” He explains and attempts to play the leader like always.

The air surrounding you instantly was replaced with a fiery anger. Allison and Klaus both seemed to have noticed but you stepped forward, moving closer to Diego. “Woah, woah woah, woah, woah, wait. She’s not just a vacuum cleaner you can throw in a closet. She feels things, I’ve seen it.” Diego exclaims, pointing at Luther with what seems to be another sharp object and you hope that Luther shuts this idiotic idea of his down immediately.

“She just stood there, Diego, and watched our father die.” Luther replies, carrying the same volume as Diego. Klaus took note of your wide eyes and the fear racing through them. Allison echoes to your left, “I’m with Luther.” Neither of them ever understood our love for her, they never saw the truth. Mom always cared about us, it’s in her nature. How could they possibly think about shutting her off? She raised us. She’s our Mom.

Your attention turns to her, there’s no surprise there. She always has and always will stay on Luther’s side. “Surprise, surprise.” Diego says as you scoff, “Of course you are.” All eyes turn to you, and Diego smiles at you with pride. Diego is the only person who understands and feels the same about Grace wholeheartedly. He was the one who created this closeness between you and her. “Shut up.” Allison shakes her head at the both of you in annoyance.

Then the attention of the room turns to Vanya, all of us waiting for her answer. “I-I don’t-” She attempts to say but Diego cuts her off, “Yeah, she doesn’t get a vote.” You annoyedly turn to Diego, internally groaning. He always sucked at giving people second chances and he never really tried to understand Vanya. But this is more important than his childish anger. “I was gonna say that I agree with you.” Vanya responds, her voice sounding a bit hurt.

Diego nods and looks at her, “Okay, she should get a vote.” He then turns to his right and points at Klaus, “What about you, stoner boy? What do you got?” The way he talks to Klaus reminds you of how much you despise the way he treats his siblings. Klaus looks off at Luther and spews some strange analogy about getting in a van, Allison looks thoroughly confused by this.

“What van?” Allison asks before Luther shakes his head, “What’s it going to be, Klaus?” You stare at Klaus as he exclaims, “I’m with Diego, because screw you!” Diego gives his brother a look of pride while pointing at him, seems that we overpowered the vote. “And if Ben were here, he’d agree with me.” He sighs, sounding almost reminiscent before snapping his head to the right and hissing at what appears to be nothing.

You take a moment to question what he’s hissing at, but Diego walks over to you and says, “(Y/N), what’s it gonna be?” He reaches out for your shoulder, smiling at you. Before you can even attempt to respond, Luther brushes you off, “(Y/N) isn’t apart of this decision. She doesn’t get a vote.” Diego cracks his neck and immediately switches his facial expression from caring to pissed off as you gawk at Luther and scoff, “If I don’t get a vote, then why the fuck did you ask me to come?”

Luther rolls his eyes at you and Allison shrugs, “I thought that maybe you would want to see it for yourself as well.” Why the fuck would they do that to you? They really expect you to stand off to the side and pretend like you’re okay with them turning her off. With them making that decision without you? You were here when they weren’t. You spent the past decade by her side, seeing who she really is and how human she can be. 

The fire you were attempting to hold in is slowly coming out, “If you haven’t noticed, I’ve seen Mom more than any of you have in the past 10 years. She is my Mom too. She has more feelings than I’ve ever seen either of you express. So as Klaus said, ‘I’m with Diego, because screw you.’” Years of pent up anger finally escapes you. Luther and Allison always distanced themselves from you. You should’ve seen this coming.

You raise your voice at Luther, getting yourself up close to him before glaring at Allison from your stance; they all were staring at you. Diego stares at you with wide eyes before turning back to Luther. Little (Y/N) was not so little anymore. You storm out of the room. As if all of those years you spent around them and around Mom was meaningless. They continued on without you, but it didn’t matter. Your voice wasn’t meant to be heard by them, they only brought you along because they wanted you to hear the final decision.


End file.
